


Right Here

by EmmaKeladry



Series: Culmets Celebration Week 2019 [5]
Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Angst, Cuddles, Culmets - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, I Found You/You Found Me, M/M, Nightmares, Romance, Shore Leave, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Paul, Snow Day, Snuggling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-20 20:16:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21062573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaKeladry/pseuds/EmmaKeladry
Summary: Hugh wasn’t sure what woke him up, but when he reached out and touched the cold sheet beside him, Paul wasn’t there. Cuddle fic





	Right Here

**Author's Note:**

> Culmets Celebration Week Prompt #5 - Cuddling against the cold AND You found me/I found you

Hugh wasn’t sure what woke him up, but when he reached out and touched the cold sheet beside him, Paul wasn’t there. His eyes opened and adjusted to the dim lighting of the cabin bedroom. He sat up and saw the bathroom door was open, but the light was turned off.

“Paul?” he called out. No answer.

Slipping from beneath the warm blankets, Hugh’s feet touched the icy cold floor. Nope. He grabbed a pair of socks from his bag and put them on before slowly padding down the stairs, to the lower level of the cabin they were occupying for their shore leave. He glanced out the high windows, seeing it was still snowing outside. It hadn’t stopped snowing sine they arrived the day before. He wasn’t as fond of the snow, but Paul loved it. Hugh wondered partially if it was because he didn’t have to worry about sunburn in the snow, instead of the beach like Hugh enjoyed. They’d spend the day going sledding and skiing and Paul even insisted on making snow angels. Hugh finally had to bribe him to come into the cabin with hot chocolate and warm chocolate chip cookies. He’d shivered on the couch for a little bit, snuggling with Hugh. After some light reading, Paul asked to go to bed a little early. He wore himself out. But now Hugh was confused why he wasn’t in bed. He checked the thermostat at the bottom of the stairs and turned up the temperature a few degrees.

Blond hair poked over the top of the couch. Hugh went around the corner and saw Paul sitting on the sofa with his knees to his chest, wrapped up in a blanket and shivering a little. He clasped a mug between his hands. His eyes were focused on the fire in the fireplace and he didn’t seem to notice Hugh.

“Hey,” Hugh murmured. “Why are you awake?” He sat down next to Paul, not touching him. There was something off about his tense posture and the way he held himself.

Paul shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep.”

The unspoken words in-between quickly filled in for Hugh what Paul meant. “Nightmare?”

There was a slight nod of Paul’s head.

_Poor honey._ Hugh scooted a little slower and tugged on the edge of the blanket. Paul released one side and let Hugh slip beneath it. As soon as he wrapped himself in the blanket, Paul snuggled up against him, his body shuddering from the cold. Hugh caught the mug as it almost fell. He caught a whiff of coffee and was glad to see that it appeared to be partially full. He’d made it but hadn’t drank much other than a few sips. Paul grasped the front of Hugh’s shirt and continued to shake as he buried his face against Hugh’s chest. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn’t from the cold, but he was sobbing. Hugh squeezed him tight and kissed the top of his head.

“I’m right here, honey. I’m not gonna leave you,” he whispered, brushing his hair back and kissing his forehead.

Paul nodded against him, as he continued to cry. Hugh held him as he struggled to put himself back together and regain control of his breathing. After a little bit, the shaking stopped and Paul squirmed a little, moving so he could wipe his eyes on the end of his pajama sleeve. He looked up at Hugh and sniffled. Hugh used his thumb to wipe away some of the tears.

“What –?” Hugh began to ask.

“You were dead. But you didn’t come back. I went into the network and I tried to find you, but I couldn’t. You were too far away. I called for you, but you didn’t hear me.” Paul’s voice became tight. “I lost you.” His words dissolved into sobs again.

Hugh rested his lips against Paul’s forehead as he held him against his chest. Paul squeezed him back. The blanket started to slip, and he quickly adjusted it. “I’m right here. I love you, Paul.” His cries became shivers; the temperature was still too cold for him. Hugh grabbed the other blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around him.

They sat in silence, other than Paul’s soft sobs. His shivered ceased as the warmth of the additional blanket and Hugh’s body warmed him up. Neither of them spoke as silent tears ran down Paul’s nose and dripped onto Hugh’s shirt. He didn’t care. After a while, Hugh began to hum. Softly at first until he was confident that his humming wasn’t bothering Paul but seemed to calm him down. His hiccupping breaths calmed and disappeared as he relaxed again. Hugh ran his fingers through Paul’s hair as he continued humming, a low sweet song that his Nana used to him to him. When the song finished, he let the silence hang in the air as he listened to Paul’s even breathing.

“You found me and I found you. We’re safe together. It was just a nightmare. Promise.” Hugh glanced down to see Paul looking up at him. He gently pressed his lips to Paul’s, feeling him respond a little as he wrapped one hand beneath Hugh’s neck. The salty moisture on his lips made him pause. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Paul whispered, rubbing his nose against Hug’s chest and getting him to laugh.

They cuddled together in the cold, as their bodies warmed each other up. Hugh began to hum again. He adjusted his arms around Paul after a few minutes as he felt him drifting. Glancing down, he saw that Paul’s lips were parted every so slightly and he could hear his breathing passing through his lips in a soft sigh. Hugh leaned back a little more and rested his head against Paul’s. Maybe not the most comfortable, but Hugh didn’t want to move him. They could sleep here tonight. He’d keep the bad dreams away.


End file.
